Chain-connector.



L. J. V ETTER.

CHAIN CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION HLED JUNESO. 1917.

1,257, 1 58. Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

By loan s (la/7791 6: .05 7 f5,% MwW ATTORNEY.

' LOUIS J. VETTEB, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE] ISLAND.

OHAIN-CONNEGTOB.

Y Application filed June 30, 1917.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, LOUIS J. n'r'rnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Chain-Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chain connectors of the class adapted to fasten together the ends of chains of the class which are used more particularly for personal wear, and the object of the invention is to provide a connector of this character which is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction and effective in its operation and one which is made'in the form of a hook and from a strip of flat stock bent upon itself, the loop end of which forms an eye to receive a link on one end of the chain, the hook end being shaped to readily engage a link at the opposite end of the chain.

The invention further consists in forming the hook of flat stock at the bend so that the tongue is not permitted to make a lateral movement but will always return to engage and close the mouth of the hook after having been depressed.

A still further object of the invention is to form the body portion of the connector broader than the end portions thereof and to provide alongitudinal recess or depression in the opposite face of the body portion thereby providing longitudinally ribbed portions therein so that the fingers of the operator may more firmly grip the device and so prevent slipping in manipulating the same.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of constructiomas will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view representing an enlarged connector as attached to a neck chain.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a greatly enlarged connector showing one of the arms in dotted lines as having been bent inward to open the mouth of the connector.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the connector.

Fig. 1 is a section on line 4-4 of Fi 3 representing that the middle portions of the arms have been removed to form longitudinal ribs along their outer edges.

Fig. 5- is a section similar to that shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 177,883.

in Fig. 4: but representing that the middle portions of the arms have been depressed to form longitudinal ribs along their outer edges.

Referring to the drawings my improved connector is blanked out of sheet stock in the desired form and then bent upon itself as illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the metal at the bend 10 is shaped to form an eye 11 for the reception of a link 16 at the end of the chain 17. The opposite end of one of the arms 12 is bent around as at 13 to form a hook and the opposite arm 14 is shaped to engage the under side of the hook end as at 15 whereby when this arm 14 is bent inward as illustrated in Fig. 2 the mouth of the hook is opened to readily receive a link therein.

One of the features of my invention is that the bridge portion 10 of this hook or connector is broad so as to prevent lateral displacement of the end' 15 of the arm 14 from the hook thereby insuring that when this arm is pressed inward, it will always return to its correct position into engagement with the under side of the hook.

Another and important feature of the invention is that the arms 12 and 1 1 are both formed comparatively broad relative to its ends, so that they may be readily engaged bythe hand of the operator to manipulate the connector which is usually made eX- tremely small, for the purpose of connecting together the ends of fine neck or eyeglass chains and the like and which, therefore, while being as small as possible requires a body of some practical size in order to be properly engaged and manipulated by the thumb and finger of the person wearing the chain.

To further provide means for ripping this connector I have provided longitudinal ribs 18 on each of the arms, which may be formed either by cutting out the center portion 19 of the opposite arms as best illustrated in Fig. 4 or these ribs may be formed by depressing the center portions of the arms as at 20, see Fig. 5, either of which constructions provides the necessary ribs in the arms, which insures a more secure grip of the operator in manipulating the connector.

It will be noted that my improved connector is formed of a single piece of spring stock complete, which renders it extremely inexpensive in construction, and that no solder is used in its manufacture; therefore it is not obliged tobe subjected toa soldering heat which" would draw the temper of 'the st0ck' and destroyits resiliency. It will also be noted that by narrowing the end of the connector comparatively small ringS may be engaged thereby and that by widenlng the operatlng arms of the device its manipu- 'lation is greatly facilitated.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the 1 construction illustrated,

but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the "mechanical changes to whieh the device is susceptible, the nvention belng defined and strip of sheet metah'the arms contiguous to the folded end extending inwardly toward "each other and serving as an eye, the free end of one of said'arins being hook shaped,

the other arm being resilient, and having its v freeend engaging thefunderside of the hook with spring pressure, each arm having its middleportion wider than its ends whereby extended bearing surfaces Y for the thumb and finger of an operator are provided.

2. A. chain connector comprising a folded strip of sheet metal, the arms contiguousto the folded 'encl extending inwardly toward each other and serv ng. as an eye, the free end of one arm being hook shaped, the other arm being resilient and having its free end v engaging the underside of the hook with spring pressure, each arm havingseparated longitudinal rib'sspaced a greater distance apart inthe-middle than at the ends, whereby extended bearingsurfaces for the thumb and finger of an operator are provided.

v Intestimony whereof I afiiX my signature ,in presence; of witness.

L oU1s.J. VETT R; Witnessi' 1 HOWARD E. BARLoW'.

copies or this patent niay be obtained'for fi ve cents each, by addressing thefifiomniissioner of Patents,

' 7 Washington, D. 0. V r 

